Drydocking gives Coast Guard cutter new life

AUGUST 11, 2014—The 210 ft U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dauntless recently returned to its homeport of Galveston, TX, following a two-month patrol interdicting narcotics and migrant traffic of of the coast of Haiti and a previous four-month a major drydocking to upgrade its systems and hull.

A Reliance Class cutter, the USCGC Dauntless underwent a four-month drydocking at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, MD. The drydocking included significant maintenance to the ship’s engines, engineering systems and hull, designed to arrest significant corrosion to the 46-year-old vessel.

“This multi-million dollar investment is a critical investment not only in Dauntless’ future but also a major milestone to ensuring the nation’s national security off-shore that is continually challenged by our aging fleet,” says Cmdr. Chris Strong, Commanding Officer of Dauntless. “The crew, which includes women enlisted crewmembers for the first time following this summer’s routine transfer season, is looking forward to enjoying quality time with family and friends and will be ready to sail again for patrol within a few short weeks.”

“It was most definitely an extremely challenging six-month ordeal, and we’ll be challenged again soon,” says Strong. “I couldn’t be prouder of our crew, both those that sail with us and our families who sacrifice time with their loved ones and keep the home fires burning.” Dauntless will be underway patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean again in just a few short weeks.

Dauntless was commissioned in 1967, where she was homeported in Miami, FL, until 1993 when she was decommissioned and entered Major Maintenance Availablility (MMA) at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay. After MMA, Dauntless was assigned to her new homeport of Galveston. In 2009, Dauntless, once again was refitted in a major overhaul, called the Mission Effectiveness Program (MEP), also in Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay. Dauntless resumed operations in November 2009, and is expected to serve for at least 15 more years.